Arts

Freak Flags Flying Since

Q.
You do you. Flaunt your edges. Who cares what they think?  “Let your freak flag fly”.  Where did this phrase originate?

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A.

Credit Jimi Hendrix. Born in Seattle – November 27th, 1942 – Hendrix popularized the phrase in his song ‘If 6 was 9’. It was the 7th track on his second album with The Jimi Hendrix Experience: ‘Axis: Bold as Love’, released in 1967.

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If 6 was 9
‘Yeah, sing a song, Brother

If the sun refuse to shine,
I don’t mind, I don’t mind.

If the mountains fell in the sea,
let it be, it ain’t me.

Got my own world to live through,
And I ain’t gonna copy you.

Now if a 6 turned out to be 9,
I don’t mind, I don’t mind.

If all the hippies cut off all their hair,
I don’t care, I don’t care.
Dig.
‘Cause I got my own world to live through,
And I ain’t gonna copy you.

White collared conservative flashing down the street,
Pointing their plastic finger at me.
They’re hoping soon my kind will drop and die,
But I’m gonna wave my freak flag high, high.

Wave on, wave on.

Fall mountains, just don’t fall on me.
Right on Mr. Businessman, you can’t dress like me.

Dreams, strife. Don’t nobody know what I’m talkin’ about.
I got my own life to live.
I’m the one that’s got to die when it’s time for me to die.
So let me live my life the way I want to.
Sing on Brother, play on drummer.’

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Wave on, Wave on …

www.justcurious.ca

Album + Header Cover Artist: David Montgomery

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Elizabeth Newton

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